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Newsom declares emergency for Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park

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Newsom declares emergency for Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park
Newsom declares emergency for Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park
Khushbu Kumari

Cal Fire reported that the Oak Fire now reaches nearly 12,000 acres with 0 percent containment. More than 6,000 residents have been evacuated

The Oak Wildfire, in California's Mariposa County and about 30 miles from Yosemite National Park, exploded in size Saturday to 11,900 acres and became one of California's largest wildfires of the year , prompting evacuation orders. for thousands of people and cut power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses.

The officially named Oak Fire began Friday afternoon southwest of the park near the town of Midpines in Mariposa County and had grown to nearly 19 square miles (48 square kilometers) by Saturday, according to the Department of Forestry and Protection. Cal Fire, as firefighters advanced against an earlier blaze that burned to the edge of a giant sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park.

Evacuation orders went into effect Saturday for more than 6,000 people who live in a stretch of several miles in the sparsely populated rural area, said Daniel Patterson, a spokesman for the Sierra National Forest.

The California governor has declared a state of emergency over the Mariposa County fire, his office said in a statement . The California Governor's Office reported that the state obtained a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the Oak fire.

“Explosive fire behavior is challenging firefighters,” Cal Fire said in a statement Saturday, describing fire activity as "extreme with frequent runs, spot fires and group fires."

The fire had destroyed 10 residential and commercial structures and damaged 5 more . Another 200 structures are threatened, according to CalFire.

The fast-growing fire prompted Caltrans to order numerous road closures, including the closure of Highway 140 between Carstens Road and Allred Road, blocking one of the main routes into Yosemite National Park.

More than 400 firefighters in a unified command battle to control the flames from the ground and from the air, racing against time as the fire burns dangerously close to homes and buildings.

The causes of the fire are not yet known.

The Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at Mariposa Elementary School. All residents and first responders who were at New Life Christian Church have been relocated to the elementary school. Evacuees receive safe shelter, water, meals, and other resources.

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